


Next Level

by project_moonlark



Category: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger
Genre: Characters are 19-20, Dont read if you dont like! Tread carefully, F/M, Lemon, Seriously! WARNING!, Sex, Smut, There is smut!, i'm sorry it's bad qieghonl3o1gnl, idk - Freeform, kotlc - Freeform, mature - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2019-09-29 17:05:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17207441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/project_moonlark/pseuds/project_moonlark
Summary: She's ready. He's ready. It was bound to happen eventually.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't kill me. It's bad

"Fitz," Sophie sighed breathlessly. "We should work on the project…"

"Later," he murmured, his hands trailing up under her top and sliding across the smooth skin of her back.

He reclaimed her mouth, sensually running his hands down her sides and gripping her ass. Sophie dragged her leg up his, hooking it on his hip to pull him closer, loving the feeling of his body pressed up against hers. Goosebumps erupted on her skin when his hand ran slowly up and down her thigh.

This had been happening more frequently than Sophie would have liked to admit. Times when Fitz came over to work on homework or projects always ended with them on her bed, their bodies helplessly entangled as they made out. There was a fire raging between them that was becoming more and more impossible to staunch out, a fire that continued to build each time they were alone.

She didn't know where her shorts had gone or how his shirt had disappeared so fast for that matter, but she knew if they didn't stop this soon, they would be going further than they originally intended. Not to mention all the homework that had to be finished that they had tossed off her bed, hopelessly discarded after he'd kept dropping lingering kisses to the back of her neck, his hand sliding beneath the waistband of her shorts. Before she knew it, there they were, slowly losing their clothes as each minute passed.

Fitz's fingers trailed up her back, toggling with the clasp of her bra as he unclipped it, sucking on her lower lip before letting it go with a vulgar grin. She moaned, letting him roll her underneath him as he kissed a path down her jaw to her neck, nipping her, licking the underside of her jaw. Sophie shifted, hooking her other leg around his hip, running her hands down the strong, muscular planes of his chest to his hips, tugging him down so they were more firmly pressed against each other. She shivered when the thick bulge of his arousal made contact with her core and arched her hips up, trying to feel more of him against her.

She craved the connection. Her body was feverish with heat, burning up each time he sucked on a sensitive part of her neck. She wanted to feel him everywhere. It wasn't like she'd never made out with Fitz, but this time her body was burning up uncontrollably to his touch. Everything was sensitive, sharp and intense.

Fitz pushed his growing erection against her core, thrusting his hips against hers slowly. Sophie stiffened at the same time he inhaled unevenly, and they stopped entirely.

"Shit. We should probably stop…" Fitz muttered, lifting his head and meeting her gaze, his eyes scorching with heat. "Before we go too far."

"Yeah." Sophie breathed out, though electricity was raging through her body and the only thing on her mind was how much she wanted Fitz's hands and mouth touching her. Caressing her. Making her feel fire in ways she'd never felt before. She licked her lips nervously as she gazed into his heady sea-foam eyes. "We need to work on the project."

He nodded, his gaze darkening when she nervously licked her lips again.

She curled an arm around his shoulders, her fingers threading into his hair as she brought him back down and captured his lips. His tongue slipped between her lips, erotic and pervasive as it tangled with hers. His hand glided up her torso beneath her shirt, and Sophie's breath hitched when he cupped her breast, rolling a sensitive nipple between his fingers. She arched her hips up, wanting nothing more than to feel more of the delicious heat from him.

Sophie bit back a moan, her face flushing as he kissed a languid path down, leaving wet, open-mouthed kisses along the column of her neck. She was overwhelmed by everything that was happening to her body. It was too intense, too much, and Sophie found herself gasping for breath as she grew lightheaded.

She was turned on beyond belief, no thoughts at all of stopping this insanity in her mind. Fitz lowered himself closer to her, the muscles of his arms straining to hold himself as they continued their slow grinding against each other, gaining a bit of speed in their rhythm with each thrust. The friction of his jeans against her most sensitive spot was making her dizzy with want. There was an intense fire between her legs as he continued to rock against her centre, pleasure flooding her body.

"Oh my God…" Sophie said, breathing harshly, her hips rising urgently to meet each of his thrusts. "Don't stop… "

Sophie whimpered, clutching his back, her head thrown back against her pillows as they became a bit more frantic in their desire to get themselves off. Sophie was so close to coming. She could tell Fitz was close too with the way his eyes were squeezed shut as he concentrated, his motions a little uneven and breathing jerky and rough.

"Sophie, I think I'm going to come." Fitz groaned. " _Fuck_ …"

"Fitz harder…" she panted, squeezing her eyes shut as her toes curled in pleasure. "Just…  _Oh God_ …"

Their lips met urgently, his pervasive kiss nearly driving Sophie insane as his tongue found hers, seductively dancing with hers as she clung to him, her hands splayed on his back as they rocked against each other.

The fire pooling in her abdomen grew, a coil tightening immeasurably as Sophie fought the urge to scream. She could barely breathe. Not with the way he was angling his hips, grinding his erection against her. She was dripping wet with desire, punctuated gasps leaving her mouth every time she felt his hard male heat against the juncture between her legs. Fitz's arms were shaking with effort; he was clutching the covers beside her head so tightly, his knuckles nearly turned white.

It felt so amazing and she was trying to keep it together, but she could feel herself falling apart at the seams as her body struggled to keep up with the sensations she was experiencing. She knew all she needed was just a little more, and she would be driven over the edge.

Then the sound of the front door closing in the distant background burst the cloud of lust they were firmly nestled in. They froze, stopping their motions entirely, their breathing harsh and uneven as they craned their ears to listen out for more noise. Sure enough, there was some distant humming coming from down the stairs.

"Fitz." Sophie pushed against his shoulders. "Shit, I think my mom is home."

"I know," he growled against her neck, sounding strained.

"Yeah, so get the fuck up. If she finds us, your ass is cooked."

He lifted his head and looked at her, and Sophie almost felt bad at the slight despair in his gaze. But there was no way she could let this continue.

"Sophie, I'm so close," he nearly whined, looking so pained that Sophie reached up and stroked his cheek softly. "I thought you said she wouldn't care that we make out and shit."

" _She_  won't care. But she'll tell Grady if she sees us, and  _he's_  who you should watch out for. He already doesn't like that we're dating." She rose a brow. "You seriously think we're going to continue when my mom is home? She might be lenient on some stuff we do, but you've seen how shrewd she can be. She'll  _know_."

"Sophie! I brought some food! Does Fitz want to stay over for dinner?" they heard Edaline ask from down the end of the stairs.

"He already left, Mom!" Sophie called out. "I'll be out in a minute!"

Fitz's brows rose.

"See?" Sophie hissed. "She already assumed you'd be around. Get off."

She gave him a pointed look, and Fitz groaned low under his breath, getting off of her with a grimace. It took all of Sophie's willpower not to grab him and pull him back down for another kiss as she stared at the overwhelmingly sexy muscles of his biceps, the ridges of his abdomen, jeans riding low on his hips from what they'd been doing. The evidence of his arousal. Sophie felt heat dance between her legs, and she rubbed her thighs together uncomfortably, hoping he couldn't see the slight stain of fluid that was beneath her hips. She would definitely have to hop in the shower to finish up after this. Fitz caught her staring and a smug smirk lifted the corner of his lips.

"We don't have to stop, you know?"

"No.  _You're_  going home." Sophie asserted, though she forced her gaze on the floor as she hopped off her bed to find her discarded shorts.  _"Now._  We're not about to get caught."

And Sophie;s eyes widened as she suddenly came to realize exactly why she was frantically trying to get Fitz out of her room even though they didn't normally try to hide their relationship. As she realized what they had actually been doing not a few minutes before. Where they had clearly been headed. They'd almost gotten themselves off dry humping for goodness sakes, it didn't take a genius to figure out. And now she was forcing him to leave like a secret boyfriend or a dirty little secret because her mother would know.

"Fine." Fitz said as he pulled his t-shirt over his head, sounding resigned, his gaze clinging to her backside as she stooped to pick up her discarded shorts. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

She nodded numbly, though her eyes were lingering on his crotch and his erection.

"What are you going to do about… you know?" Sophie asked, gesturing to the front of his jeans.

He gave her a look.

"No, you dork. I know what you're going to  _do_." Sophie rolled her eyes. "I meant, how are you going to get home when you have that problem?"

Fitz sighed. "I don't know. Find a place to get it out before my parents see? You're killing me, Sophie."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said you already left."

He walked over and leaned down, kissing her softly and sliding his arms around her waist with a smile.

"It's okay, Honey Bee. I would have kicked you out too."

Sophie snorted, leaning up and pressing a lingering kiss to his mouth again.

"Good luck," she murmured against his lips, resting her hands on his arms. "Now get out of here already."

Fitz grabbed out his home crystal and leaped away. Once he was no longer there, Sophie replayed the memory of the dizzying sensations, trying to get it out of her mind.

But that wasn't why she was starting to feel prickly, goosebumps rising on her flesh and body stiff. She was suddenly feeling incredibly anxious because she knew what they had been spiralling towards. What they would have ended up doing had her mother not come home when she did.

Without a doubt, Sophie knew they would have had sex that night.

And suddenly, she grew scared.


	2. Chapter 2

After Sophie left her Linguistics class, she dragged her feet though the hallways towards Fitz's locker. Usually on this block schedule, she would meet up with Keefe and Fitz, and they'd head to lunch together and meet up with their other friends for their weekly catch up lunch, but she was feeling nervous.

She'd honestly been avoiding Fitz all morning, making sure to only walk through the halls after they had already been cleared and the late bell was seconds from ringing. But if she skipped out on their lunch "tradition" in a sense, he would absolutely know she was avoiding him and then he'd make extra efforts to find her and trap her and talk to her. The last thing she wanted was to get cornered by Fitz before she'd had ample time to sort her thoughts.

It scared her how easy it had been to just do what they had the night before. How easy it had been to get to that point. How she hadn't been thinking. How her brain had shut itself off. How she'd just acted on impulse, wrapping her legs around his waist, arching her hips, pulling him closer, letting him grind his erection between her legs.

The simulated sex motions that felt like second nature.

It was as if they'd done it for years even though that was the first time they'd ever been that intimate in their makeout and made actual contact with their respective private parts. It wasn't like they were completely closed off to sexual behaviour. Up until that point, Sophie's heavier makeouts with Fitz only went as far as a few experimental fingerings and handjobs though they did stop fairly early in if they felt they were getting a little carried away, not attempting to make each other climax. The evening before had definitely been the first time they'd ever gotten so close to having an orgasm with the other person around.

Overall, Sophie was a little apprehensive about what had happened to them, but because of what happened, she recognized exactly what it meant. It meant that her body had naturally been waiting for  _that_ moment. Waiting for the time—the sign—when Sophie would be ready to have sex.

And she was certain that had been it.

Sophie now understood why her mother had sent them both to a clinic and forced them to get tested before their last Years in Foxfire started when Sophie had gotten caught with her hand in Fitz's pants while they were watching a movie. Even though they both had told Edaline that they weren't even thinking of sex in the least, Edaline had told Sophie she would thank her later. She'd also told Sophie that if they were very horny and got lost in each other, it could happen before they could even realize what was going on and it was better to be well prepared beforehand.

Several months later, and Edaline had been right.

It  _had_  almost happened. And now Sophie just knew that they wouldn't be able to go back to their semi "no sex" thought process now that they'd had a small taste of what it could feel like. She just  _knew_  that they'd propelled themselves towards having sex with that one evening.

It was so weird to think about. One day they had just been messing around, two teens finally in a relationship after years of dancing around each other and denial and almost kisses and lingering hugs and stolen longing looks. The next, all Sophie could think about was Fitz's dick being inside her.

It had been on her mind all evening and all morning and though she did have a few small fears about what could happen to their relationship if they took it to the next level and hopped into banging each other, throughout the day, a lot of those fears had subsided into a sort of prickly anticipation and trepidation. She had some reservations, but she also could recognize that the excited fluttering in her stomach was more along the positive side. She'd admittedly spent hours on her phone just reading blog posts about sex and articles about losing virginities and what not. The more she had read, the more she had grown excited about the idea of having sex with Fitz. Her body had felt amazing when he hadn't even been inside her.

Who knew how good it could feel with him actually in?

Sophie knew their relationship had shifted irrevocably the night before. It wasn't extreme, just a little subtle, but it was like for the first time, Sophie had become aware that they were a boy and girl. Not only that, but a boy and girl who were in love. And not only  _that_ , but a boy and girl who were in love and in a dedicated relationship. It was like for the first time, she realized what was undoubtedly supposed to come next. What boys and girls did in these specific circumstances.

They'd unexpectedly flung open the doors to sex in their relationship that had been shut tightly before. It was something that was like that application due in several months that lingered in the back of one's mind but was largely ignored until the deadline suddenly came out of nowhere and sprang up in their face.

And now that the prospect was out there, it could not be ignored.

As Sophie rounded the corner and approached the hallway with the senior lockers, she wondered if Fitz was feeling the same trepidation as she was. She wondered if it was possible that he was going to put space between them after it. The thought of that disheartened Sophie a bit.

Honestly, she wasn't totally against the idea of having sex. Neither were clueless about sex, having had their respective awkward talks with parents long ago, and she and Fitz had been fooling around and experimenting for a while now. They'd always held back, particularly because she suspected neither of them felt ready to take that step.

But the closer she approached her destination, the more Sophie started to think that maybe she honestly was ready. Because even though the weight of their almost decision hit her like a ton of bricks after Fitz had left, the fact of the matter remained that she had been completely calm and comfortable during their dry humping. And though her mind had shut itself off, if things had progressed and her mother hadn't come home when she did, she and Fitz would have already had sex by now. And Sophie knew she would have been one hundred percent willing to lose her virginity to him.

_That_  kind of scared her a little bit, that feeling of wanting nothing more than to give herself wholly to her boyfriend, but she wanted to. Not just for him, but for herself as well. She wanted them to share that moment together, losing their virginities to each other and growing closer intimately and emotionally. And even if she hadn't been dating Fitz, Sophie knew she still would have wanted to lose her virginity to him.

The question was: how ready was Fitz?

She rounded the corner and her eyes caught sight of Keefe, laughing about something with Fitz who was leaning up against the lockers. As she clicked down the hallway, Fitz noticed her and their gaze's locked. Her nerves sprang up full force as she approached, suddenly feeling her trepidation rise up again at Fitz's guarded expression.

"Fuck…" she muttered under her breath.

He only pulled that expression when he was uncertain about something. And even if he was keeping himself carefully blank, she could just make out a sort of anxiousness in his eyes that she knew she was feeling too.

Sophie loosened her worried frown, hoping her expression looked as indifferent as she was trying to project as she sidled up to the two of them.

"Did you do something different with your hair, Sophie?" Keefe asked, brow furrowed as he stared at her.

"Uh no." She touched one of her stray curls. "I kinda curled it? But nothing super different. You've seen me like this before."

"There's something… different about you…" Keefe muttered, walking around her slowly as he rubbed his chin. "New jacket?"

"I've had this jacket since Level Five, Keefe."

"Hmmm… maybe it's your eyes. You've got this look in them."

Sophie bristled, wondering if Keefe could tell she'd been on a fast track to popping her cherry the night before. Keefe was pretty good at figuring this kind of stuff out with only a few clues since he was very observant, and it really wouldn't do for the blabbermout to figure it out because the whole school would know that Fitz and Sophie had nearly had sex before the end of the day arrived. Thankfully, Fitz intervened, saving her ass before Keefe could continue to question her.

"Stop hitting on my girlfriend, Keefe," Fitz said with a raised brow.

He snorted. "Please. If I was really hitting on Sophie, she wouldn't even be with you anymore."

Fitz rolled his eyes, and Sophie gave him a discreet grateful smile for his quick thinking.

"You guys wanna head to lunch now?" Keefe asked, squinting at one of the hall clocks. "It's just about time."

"Uh…" Sophie glanced at Fitz. "I need to stop by the art room first."

"Yeah…" he rubbed the back of his neck, grimacing the slightest bit. "And I have to… uh…"

"Meet with a teacher." Sophie slipped in.

"Right. Meet with a teacher."

Keefe stared at the both of them, his eyes moving from one to the other as they narrowed suspiciously. They both fidgeted uncomfortably, Sophie picking at her fingernails as Fitz rolled up the sleeves of his shirt once more. Keefe's face settled into a sly smirk.

"Oh  _now_  I get it," Keefe said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "You guys need a little bit of time for lunchtime hanky panky."

"That's not it." Sophie said quickly.

The last thing she wanted was Keefe running off to their friends to tell them they were hooking up or something.

"Mmhmm. Sure it isn't. Don't worry, your secret it safe with me." Keefe winked exaggeratedly. "Well, I'm gone. It's Taco Tuesday and those things go fast. Don't take too long now."

He walked off and Fitz groaned, running a hand through his hair. Sophie knew exactly how he felt. No doubt, there would be a new rumour about them by the end of the day that they liked to spend their lunchtimes playing tonsil hockey.

"I'm assuming you're going to say we need to talk." Fitz said, starting off the conversation.

Sophie sighed. "We do."

Fitz nodded, a slight gleam in his eyes as he stared at her. "Yeah… last night got kind of intense."

"Yeah, I know…" Sophie felt her cheeks rouge as she met Fitz's gaze.

"You owe me for making me jack off in a bathroom so I wouldn't get labeled a pervert."

She looked away. "I had no choice. It was either that or let you stay and…"

And finish what they started. But she had needed to regroup her thoughts and figure things out first.

"And you were scared of that possibility." Fitz said, clearly understanding the gist of what she had been saying. "I'm sorry if I scared you. I can stay away from you for awhile if that's what you want?"

"No," Sophie said a little too quickly and a little too loudly. Some people walking in the hall gave them odd looks, and Sophie cleared her throat, lowering her voice and ducking her head down. "I don't want it to stop, Fitz. It was nice. I liked it."

Fitz's brows rose in surprise as he stared at her. "You liked it?"

"You didn't?" She shot him a glare.

"No, I did too," he quickly clarified. "I couldn't stop thinking about it. About you. Once I got home, I think I broke a record for jacking off in one evening because all I could think about was what you felt like. Or could feel like, I guess."

Sophie wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Don't give me that face. You can't deny that after I left you probably masturbated too."

He wasn't wrong. She'd taken a three hour "bubble bath" before she'd finally managed to exhaust her spiking libido. But even in the morning, her body had woken up too charged and just about ready to hump anything that moved so she'd had to deal with that as well. But no way she was about to admit that to Fitz. He'd never let her live it down.

"And to be honest," Fitz continued, "I thought you hated what happened. I thought you were mad at me. You've been avoiding me all morning, and last night you couldn't get rid of me fast enough."

Sophie felt guilty. He had noticed her attempts to make sure they didn't run into each other after all. But now that the air had somewhat cleared, they needed to talk about this for real. Because even after their shocking evening, it didn't change the fact that they were still going to hang out. And even if things felt a little awkward right now, they would eventually makeout again. And when that happened, they would certainly get back to that point once again. They had to be absolutely ready for what was going to come and in order to do that, they had to lay it all out on the table.

"Can we talk about this in private?" Sophie asked.

There were too many people in the hallway and with the underclassman heading back to their classes and upperclassmen going to lunch, there was too high a risk of someone catching part of their conversation.

Fitz nodded and took her hand, guiding her down the corridor to the hall with science classrooms where a stray supply closet was. Whenever any of their friends needed private time for themselves or were just having a bad day,they used that closet to figure themselves out. It was a safe space. A place away from the wild happenings at school so they could relax and get themselves together. 

Sophie and Fitz made sure no one was watching them before they slipped in.

"Okay." Sophie said, taking a deep breath. Fitz sat down on the chair against the wall, his hands behind his head as he waited for her to speak. "Here goes nothing. It's been about a year since we've been dating, Fitz. And I feel like things are progressing naturally between us considering how our relationship has been moving along. It was crazy last night. But not crazy in a bad way. I'm just kind of shocked that we got to that point so quickly without realizing it."

He waited patiently, watching her as her turbulent thoughts cycled through her mind in rapid succession.

"But the fact that it happened means that it's out there now. We can't take it back. I, uh… I thought it was umm…" She ran both hands through her hair, feeling her face start to heat up. "We need to… uh… I think we, umm… What I'm saying is…"

She wanted to have sex with him.

Sophie tapered off, grimacing when she realized no sentences she was trying to formulate made any sense anymore. She couldn't get the words out and every time she tried, she got tongue tied. She sounded  _insane_ , and judging from Fitz's raised brow, he was probably confused as fuck.

How hard was it to just say she wanted to have sex with him?

"My point is, it felt good. And I think I liked it too much."

"So… you're also saying you can't get it out of your mind." Fitz was smirking.

Sophie nodded.

"So does that mean you want a reprise?" Fitz asked playfully, though his gaze was absolutely serious.

Even though his tone sounded like he was joking, she could easily see that he was asking her seriously if she was okay with them having sex if it happened. If she was ready to go to that step since it didn't seem that they could go back any longer. He was sparing her by not making her try to spew out her nonsense anymore. But now that meant giving him a direct answer.

If she said yes— _when_ , really—that meant it was a done deal. That meant whenever they had a good deal of privacy and time to themselves, they would do this. They would make that step.

Letting go of the breath she'd been holding, Sophie nodded, walking up to Fitz and straddling his lap. He smiled, lacing the fingers of his hands with hers as they gazed at each other.

"Not just a reprise. I want us to be our firsts with each other." She sighed. "I want it to be you."

She felt her cheeks burn with an intense blush as Fitz stared at her, but she was glad she had gotten it out. It was better that it was out in the open now.

"To be honest, I've been thinking about what it would be like to have sex with you for a while now, Sophie. But are you sure you're ready?"

She nodded again, leaning forward and kissing Fitz softly to confirm it. She pulled away with a smile, letting him know through her actions that she was more than ready. The fears that she had originally been feeling had all but dissipated, an excited fluttering taking its place in her stomach. It was going to happen. She and Fitz were going to have sex at some point.

"Yeah. I'm ready."

Sophie closed the gap between them again, scooting closer to him and pressing her frame against his. Her heart was dancing wildly in her chest, and she sighed softly when Fitz wrapped an arm around her, his hand cupping the back of her head and gently gripping her hair as they languidly made out. Sophie slipped her hands under the hem of his shirt, splaying her fingers on the planes of his abdomen as she ground against him. He groaned, breaking the kiss with a sharp intake of breath the second she made contact with his growing arousal.

"Dammit Sophie," he growled. "I'm not going to end up jacking off in the bathroom."

She took her lower lip in between her teeth with a flirtatious smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her chest in Fitz's direct line of sight. She loved that she could easily turn him on.

"It's just a little making out, Fitz," she said playfully. "Nothing harmful."

"For you maybe. If we keep going, I don't think I'll be able to walk the halls of school." He stopped her motions with narrowed eyes, gripping her hips more tightly to keep her from continuing. "Besides, we have to get to lunch or Keefe is going to be spreading a  _different_  rumour entirely."

As much as Sophie hated the fact that their little bit of couple time had been interrupted, she knew he was right. They couldn't go any farther in the closet, because honestly it would just make it harder to stop. And while Sophie was all for fooling around during school, after the loaded conversation they'd just had, it probably wouldn't remain just fooling around.

Sophie backed up, getting off of his lap, and they both rearranged their clothes, checking each other to make sure the evidence of their little rendezvous was gone. Any signs of "hanky panky" and whatever Keefe had told people would be validated and would almost certainly spread within seconds.

Once they were set, Sophie poked her head out of the closet to make sure there wasn't anyone coming down the hall. The coast clear, she replaced the sign back in the room and left, Fitz in tow.

"Okay so you're coming over to finish our project tonight after your bramble practice, right?"

"Eight right?"

"Yeah. My mom won't be home until midnight." Sophie quickly rushed to clarify. "…Not that that matters or anything."

Though she knew no work would be done on their project that evening. Honestly, they'd be lucky if they even got around to starting it at all. Fitz stared at her, the expression in his eyes a little hard to read.

"Eight," he said calmly, acknowledging their unspoken understanding that that night would most likely be their big night.

"Okay."

Those excited butterflies fluttered in her abdomen again, and Sophie hoped he couldn't hear her pounding heartbeat. She leaned up and gave him a quick peck on his cheek and took his hand as they walked to the cafeteria, trying to ignore the way her pulse was double timing.

Eight o'clock Fitz was coming over. Eight o'clock, Sophie would officially grow up.

Eight o'clock, Sophie Foster would lose her virginity to Fitzroy Vacker.


	3. Chapter 3

Sophie raced into Havenfield, checking her Imparter to see how much time she had. In half an hour, it would be eight o'clock, and Fitz was usually always punctual, no matter the circumstances. She didn't have much time, especially since Fitz had texted her about fifteen minutes ago and told her he was heading home to clean himself up a bit after his practice. He could very well be on his way over right now and if she didn't get a move on, she wouldn't be ready in time.

Art club had unfortunately run a little late that evening - Keefe had somehow convinced her to try it out with him - when Keefe had had a little mishap unscrewing the cap of a tube of acrylic paint and spilled it everywhere, even managing to cover most of his canvas with it. Sophie had originally been planning to leave early, but instead she had spent another hour with Keefe helping him repaint what had gotten covered up.

But that had set her back quite a bit in her schedule.

Today was a big day. So she needed time to get everything perfect.

Sophie had nearly torn off her clothes to get to her bathroom the minute she stepped in her room, dumping everything on the floor of her room and hurrying to get herself ready. She washed herself thoroughly, making sure to clean every nook and cranny of her body, and  _especially_  between her legs. Then she shaved her legs and armpits and trimmed the hairs between her legs so it was tamed and neater. She'd read online that a bush could be a major turn off for some guys. Fitz had probably felt the bush at one point or another since he'd had his hand down her pants before, but he'd never actually  _seen_  it and she didn't want it to be a nightmare. She made sure her hair was also cleaned and washed before blow drying it out to fluff it up and make it softer.

Maybe she was kind of freaking out and making this whole thing a big deal, but it kind of was a big deal. She and Fitz were probably going to take the next step of their relationship that night and she wasn't exactly certain how that would go, but she wanted it to be special. Or at the least, she didn't want to feel self-conscious about anything. If all her preparations were perfect, that was one less thing to be worried about.

Sophie cleaned up her room, changing her sheets and making sure anything embarrassing or dirty was put in its proper place or stuffed in her closet. Then she lit a scented candle before feeling silly and blowing it out a few seconds later. She put on lipstick, glanced at herself in the mirror, and then wiped it off with a roll of her eyes. She was trying too hard.

But she did pull on her matching set of a fancy lacy bra and panties (the ones she had secretly bought with her job money that she was currently hiding from her mom), staring at herself in her full length closet mirror and trying to calm herself down. She'd gotten nearly fully undressed in front of Fitz before, why was this so different?

Her face was on  _fire_. Sophie was completely flustered and the splotchy red blush on her cheeks wouldn't go away, no matter how hard she tried to take deep calming breaths and even out her stilted breathing. Was she about to have a mini-meltdown?

Sophie rubbed her warm cheeks, desperately trying to get her body to calm down and relax, but nothing was working. And to make matters worse, the tips of her ears were turning red as well as the back of her neck and upper chest. It wouldn't go away no matter how much she tried to settle her flustered face. She hadn't gotten flushed like this since Fitz kissed her for the first time, and even then, she'd managed to control it within a few hours or so. But this was a lot more intense.

She was so anxious.

Sophie pulled on a simple cotton skirt and tank top so it could be easier to take off and swallowed hard, taking a deep breath and trying not to think too much about how in a short while, she and Fitz would be on her bed, finishing the job they'd started a day ago. Rolling around on her sheets. Without clothes. Connected like a damn jigsaw puzzle.

This wasn't just getting naked and being totally plastered to each other while making out. He was going to be inside her. Actually  _inside_  her. Like those awkward fit the banana in the small hole jokes people had made in sex ed years ago. Would he even fit? What if he got stuck?

"Oh man…" she breathed out slowly as she leaned onto the edge of her dresser, staring at her red cheeks.

She knew she was being ridiculous now, but she couldn't help it. It was one thing to read up on sex and do research until she was seeing spots in her eyes and she knew every sex position known to man. But it was a whole other to realize she was about to go through the process. She was about to be deflowered and stretched like some kind of balloon. She was about to let him touch her wherever and kiss her wherever and give him everything she had to offer.

He wouldn't just be her boyfriend anymore, her best friend since he'd found her, the guy she'd struggled to finally enter a relationship with after years of dancing around each other and being in denial. Fitz would become her first truly serious relationship, the keeper of her virginity, the first guy she would give herself to mind, body, and soul.

Sophie swallowed hard and took a handful of long, deep breaths, letting them out slowly through her nose and trying to prevent herself from hyperventilating. She resigned herself to the fact that her face would have a permanent blush on it. But she knew Fitz would never intentionally hurt her, and that was enough to help diminish her anxiety and believe that this could be the most magical evening of her life. She was going to try to enjoy herself with Fitz and remember this day forever.

The doorbell of the house rang through the air and Sophie inhaled sharply with a soft gasp, her heart suddenly pounding hard in her chest. She stared at herself in the mirror, trying to stop her slight shaking and then running a hand through her hair to get it together.

"Okay, Sophie. Time to lose your virginity."

Sophie took one last deep breath, held her head high and left her room, heading to the front door. It was now or never. She unlocked the door and pulled it open to Fitz standing there, smiling a bit awkwardly with his school bags. She could see the light blush on his cheeks as well. His hair was still a little wet from his shower, tousled and a bit disheveled as if he had hurried on his way over or something.

"Hey," Fitz said somewhat nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry I'm late."

"It's fine. I was still cleaning up."

Sophie met his gaze and then they both looked away quickly, pretending to look at nonexistent objects in the area.

They stood there in slightly uncomfortable silence for a bit, not saying anything as they faced each other. Truth be told, Fitz wasn't sure  _what_  to say. She forced herself not to stare at his crotch. Maybe if she started out the conversation about the project or something instead it might help relieve some of the tension in the air.

"…So did you bring the stuff?"

"Stuff?" Fitz asked. "What, like condoms?"

Sophie's gaze shot up in surprise, and she stared up at him a little shocked, her eyes widening at his blatant admission. She hadn't expected him to bring it up so suddenly like that.

"What? I meant… for the project… but okay…"

"Oh." He cleared his throat, the tips of his ears a little red. "Uh, yeah. That too."

They stood there again, Sophie's palms growing a bit clammy as she fisted them on her skirt. Why the hell was she feeling so unbelievably nervous all of a sudden? Maybe it was because Fitz was standing right there in person and she could smell how amazing he smelled and him being there was just another reminder that they were one step closer to the next level.

"So, can I come in?" Fitz asked, the corner of his mouth curved up into a slight playful smile. "Or are you just going to make me stand here while you fawn over my good looks?"

"Shut _up_."

Sophie snorted, reaching out and tugging Fitz in by the shirt. She shut the door and turned back around to head to her room. He followed close behind her, and Sophie felt her skin prickle in anticipation. She was very aware of Fitz's presence behind her, his gaze burning a hole in her backside. Good. Her idea of a skirt had worked just as she'd wanted it to.

They entered her bedroom, and Sophie shut the door slowly, swallowing nervously and briefly closing her eyes. Now or never. She spun around, leaning her back against the door and hoping she didn't look as nervous as she felt. It was bad enough that she could still feel the heat on her face. The last thing she wanted was for her expression to reveal the turmoil in her mind.

"So." She cleared her throat, chewing on her lower lip as she waited for Fitz to set his bag on the floor. "How do you want to do this?"

"Well, I was thinking we could make some kind of poster board, maybe?" He plopped down on her bed, kicking off his shoes and stretching with a yawn. "Or a 3D model might work for the presentation we're doing. But I know how lazy you get about these types of things. It's just Telepathy, after all. We've got this. but, uh, what do you think?"

"What? No, I meant…" Sophie sighed dejectedly. She should never have brought up the project in the first place. She'd probably killed his mindset by making it seem like she hadn't originally been interested in the whole condom ordeal and by extension, sex. Dammit. She should have responded much better than that. Did Fitz think she didn't want it today? Fuck, he must have since she'd reacted negatively to his condom "test". "No, you're right. Sure, let's do a 3D model. Just so you know, you're doing all the work though."

He snorted. "I thought as much. Why don't we work on the presentation slides first and we can figure out the other stuff later? It's not due until next Monday anyway."

"Sounds like a plan."

She plopped down on her bed beside him, tugging her laptop out from under her pillow as he got his textbook out so they could get started on their work.

Sophie was a little disappointed that she'd killed the mood and ruined Fitz's gutter thoughts and turned him into Studious!Fitz. She'd killed the mood effectively by bringing up school.

But at least he was good company, and she loved her dorky boyfriend, so it was fine even if they weren't getting frisky on her bed. Besides, she was certain once they were done or if he got bored, he'd definitely be up for some canoodling, and then she would make her move. And this time, she would be  _clear_  that she wanted to hop on his dick train and ride him to oblivion.

But an hour and a half into the research, Sophie grew restless and bored. She never really was one to ever focus on her studies that much and to be honest this project was the furthest thing from her mind when Fitz was laying on her covers, reading his textbook and smelling like heaven. It kind of annoyed her that she was always so easily seduced by him without him even doing anything.

She stared at him, the set of his jaw as he read, his lips, his Adam's apple, the way his shirt seemed to cling to his body, outlining the muscles of his chest, the slight protrusion under the zipper of his jeans.

Was he fucking glistening? Why did he look like some Adonis in her eyes?

Shit, how horny was she?

Sophie swallowed thickly, her eyes glued to his crotch. She'd felt him before, hard and hot and ready but there'd been obstructions. What was she wasting time for?

"Fitz."

He glanced up at her, an inquisitive look in his sea-foam eyes as he rested his textbook on his chest.

"Yeah?"

"Let's take a break."

"Okay." He sat up slightly, resting on his elbows. "That's a good idea. Maybe we should grab a snack or something?"

Without a word, Sophie leaned over and grabbed his textbook off of him before tossing it carelessly across her room. She moved her laptop to the floor and then shoved the papers on her bed to the ground as well. Fitz frowned in confusion, looking at her like she'd lost her mind.

"Sophie, what are…?"

His words tapered away as Sophie crawled on top of him slowly and straddled his hips, her heart racing in her chest.

"I kind of had something  _different_  in mind." She sat back on his crotch, her hands resting on his chest and toying with the top button of his shirt as she gave him a poignant look. If he didn't understand what she meant after this, it was a lost cause. "If you're up for it…"

She could see his pupils dilating as he stared up at her, realization dawning in his expression of what she wanted. Fitz swallowed hard before he sat up, sliding his hands around her waist, his expression careful as he watched her.

"Sophie, are you sure? Because you don't have to push yourself if you're not ready."

Sophie  took a deep breath, mustering the best sure smile she could, though she knew she must have looked a little antsy. That had probably been why he was a little reserved. Because they both knew where this was headed with certainty.

She held his gaze as she took the hem of her top, slowly lifting it up and off of her body before dropping it slowly over the edge of her bed. It was dramatic, she knew, but she wanted to mess with Fitz a bit. She shook out her hair slowly so it haphazardly tumbled around her shoulders, loving the way Fitz's gaze was glued to her, enraptured by her and clearly loving her mini show.

"Yeah. I'm sure, Fitz."

She cupped his cheeks, pressing a soft kiss to his lips to show him she meant what she had said. She was ready. Sex couldn't be that big of a deal, right? It was literally in and out. As long as Fitz knew where to put himself, that's all that mattered, right? When she pulled away, Fitz's gaze had darkened considerably, his hands gently massaging her waist.

"I've been hoping to hear those words since this afternoon."

"Be honest." Sophie chuckled, tracing his lips with her thumb, her body growing warmer as he slid his hands down and cupped her ass. "How often do you fantasize about having sex with me?"

Fitz slowly kissed the corner of her mouth, then her jaw, then her neck before nuzzling her slightly.

"Hmmm…" he murmured against her neck, the vibrations of his voice tickling her. "Every five minutes, not counting my dreams."

"You know, you don't nearly get enough credit for how perverted you are," Sophie drawled, trailing her fingers gently through his hair.

Fitz chuckled, lifting his head from her neck, and leaned forward, catching her lips. Sophie pulled him closer, draping her arms around his shoulders with a soft sigh. His lips were soft, tasting of cinnamon, and all thoughts left Sophie's mind when Fitz slipped his tongue between her lips, caressing her own. She trailed her fingers to the buttons of his shirt, popping them open and wanting nothing more than the feel his skin against her own. She curled her fingers into his hair, settling more firmly on his crotch, tilting her head back with a breathless sigh as he sucked on her neck.

His hands slid up her back, his fingertips dragging up to the hook of her bra. It sent a shiver of excitement running down her back. They'd taken each other's clothes off before, but this held more weight. She could feel his fingers fumbling really badly with the back of her bra. His hands were shaking slightly and Sophie pulled away, glancing down at him in amusement.

It was a little funny to see Fitz so nervous when he'd always been pretty good at getting her bras off. Or rather, he was usually pretty confident about what he was doing. Maybe he was just now feeling the weight of their decision just as much as she was.

Sophie grasped his biceps, stopping him with a raised brow.

"Are you nervous?"

"Kind of." Fitz sighed. "I don't want to mess this up. I want it to be special."

It was kind of sweet and endearing in a way, knowing that Fitz, who'd been fairly assertive an self-assured in his desires with her, was kind of freaking out over this. Then again, she didn't blame him. It was his first time too.

"Fitz…" she said, "there is literally nothing you could possibly do to mess this up. So relax. It's only me."

He nodded and tinkered with the hook again. She felt it snap off, and then Fitz gave her a shit eating grin as he slowly pulled it off and away from her body, freeing her from the confines of her bra.

"Would you look at that? I've still got it."

Sophie tilted his chin up. "Great. Now shut up."

Their lips met again, hungry and pervasive, their tongues tangling together in a sensual dance they knew all too well. He dragged his hands slowly up her side, the contrast of the cool of his hands on her overheated skin making goosebumps rise on her skin. She mewled in pleasure when he cupped her breasts, kneading them skillfully, rolling her nipples gently between his fingertips.

It was a lot and not enough all at once and Sophie whimpered as she gripped her headboard, matching Fitz's fervent kisses. He trailed a hand between her legs, stroking her heated cleft and Sophie let out a high pitched whimper, breaking the kiss and panting to catch her breath. She screwed her eyes shut, rubbing herself against his palm, her breathing going more ragged with each of his motions.

"Sophie… God…" he murmured, watching her through a darkened gaze. "You're so wet."

His other hand sank into her hair and he tugged on it, her head tilting back as he dragged his lips to her neck, leaving hot, open-mouthed kisses on her skin. Sophie moaned, her mind spinning from the surge of heat that ran through her body. She loved it when he got a little aggressive.

She clutched his shoulders, grinding against him, almost desperate for some more friction as heat pooled in her abdomen. He groaned low in his chest, holding her hips down and bucking his up the slightest bit. Sophie inhaled sharply, a tremble of pleasure running down her spine. She could feel him straining through the confines of his jeans, pressing persistently against her inner thigh, and Sophie let out a soft gasp, a little surprised by how hard he already was.

"What's wrong?" he breathed out heavily against her neck.

"Nothing… I just…"

This was really happening.

Fitz rolled them over, settling between her hips, and Sophie hooked her legs around his waist, her hands splayed on his back as they languidly made out. She loved the feel of his body pressing hers into the mattress, their chests plastered together, limbs intertwined on the disheveled sheets. She shivered beneath him when he rocked against her, focused pleasure dancing in her core. Fitz made a soft noise, close to a moan, and Sophie didn't think she'd ever heard anything sexier in her life. She could feel herself growing wet with increasing desire, her panties moist from her arousal.

Fitz's hands trailed down her sides and he hooked his fingers over the top of Sophie's skirt, tugging it down past her hips and ass. She lifted her legs so he could pull the skirt off totally.

He kissed a languid path down from her mouth to her neck, lips leaving wet, lingering kisses along the skin. He kissed her shoulder, then her collarbone, trailing his lips slowly down between her chest to her abdomen. Sophie squirmed, a little ticklish as he kissed down her torso, past her navel, even lower, not stopping until he reached the top of her panties. He smirked mischievously and heat crept up Sophie's face when he took hold of the waistband of her underwear.

Sophie chewed nervously on her thumbnail when he started to drag them down her legs. Her heart immediately started to double time and with a soft gasp, she clamped her legs shut, stopping him from continuing and nervous beyond belief. She'd never let anyone except for that gyno look down there. It was pretty embarrassing. She knew Fitz would see her cooch at some point eventually, but she felt weird about it.

"Wait, Fitz." Sophie felt her cheeks grow warm. "Don't you think we're going kind of fast?"

Fitz glanced up, concern in his expression. "Sophie, if you're uncomfortable, you don't have to force yourself. We can stop. I understand completely if you want to."

"I don't want to stop, I'm just... embarrassed."

"Why? You're beautiful."

Sophie's face heated and she smiled a bit nervously.

"Fitz, I've never gotten... you know, eaten out," she said, feeling a little insecure. "I mean, clearly I've been fingered a little, but nothing like... this."

He nodded. "Okay, so I won't do anything crazy. I'll be gentle."

He rested his hands consolingly on her knees, but she didn't feel all too consoled, still not entirely comfortable with the idea.

"It's just kind of weird to think about. I don't get why guys even want to be down there."

"Because we want to make our girls feel good," Fitz said with a smile. "There's nothing to be afraid of. I promise I won't hurt you."

"I know. I trust you," Sophie said. "But I also can't give you a blowjob in return, you know? I don't know how I feel about that yet."

"That's fine. I wasn't asking for one, and I'm not going to pressure you to."

"You're awfully confident about this. Have you done this before?"

"No, but I've wanted to." He grinned sheepishly. "I'm a teenage guy. I did my research. Extensively. For several years."

"Perv." Sophie chuckled. "You're too enthusiastic about this."

"Do you want me to do this, Sophie?" Fitz asked, gently massaging her leg. "It's your choice."

She searched his eyes for a second, contemplating whether she should or not. On the one hand, she was curious as to what all the rage was about receiving oral, but on the other hand, Fitz's mouth would be between her legs. Just that thought alone perturbed her in some ways. She still didn't get why he wanted to eat her out, but he looked like he really wanted to and who knew. Maybe she would like it just as much as he seemed to think it was going to be great. Sophie nodded, slowly at first and then with more conviction. It couldn't be that weird if so many people talked about it like it was the best thing about sex.

"Yeah." She licked her lips. "Okay, let's try it."

"Okay."

He slowly spread her knees apart and tugged her panties down her thighs, trailed them off her calves and then the rest of the way. Sophie's face erupted in colour and she stared resolutely at the ceiling instead of at Fitz looking between her legs. She just wanted to squeeze her eyes shut or clamp her hands over her face. This was one of the most intense things she'd ever experienced. It was one thing for him to have his fingers there when she was wearing her clothes, but she was completely and totally bare and quite literally spreading her legs and letting him see everything. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest, an odd mix of apprehension and lust making it hard for her to sort her thoughts.

Fitz kissed the inside of her thigh and Sophie's breath hitched, her heart rate skyrocketing in her chest when she felt his hot breath on the juncture between her legs. She stiffened, squeezing her eyes shut as she waited.

"Relax, Sophie." Fitz said. "It's okay."

"Fitz, it's just really embarrassing. I mean, isn't it weird down there?"

He didn't say anything, his only response a trail of slow kisses up her inner thigh. Sophie swallowed thickly, anticipation mounting as he nipped his way to her most sensitive spot. He lifted her legs, setting them on his shoulders as he steadily approached the space between her legs.

And then his mouth found its destination.

It felt weird to Sophie at first, not particularly like anything. She could feel his lips against her, but nothing in particular stood out to her, and it didn't feel like much other than a few kisses here and there. And then her breath hitched when she felt his tongue stroke her slowly on languid lick. She gasped, her toes curling in pleasure as she threw her head back against her pillow as he continued to lick her in slow, easy circles in her most sensitive place.

"Oh, God, yes…" she breathed out, her body humming in pleasure as spasms of heat burst through her.

Sophie groaned softly, trying to catch her breath as he lapped at her, sucking her off and eating her out meticulously. Shallow pants escaped her lips and she screwed her eyes shut in concentration, fisting her covers when he trailed his fingers up, brushing her clit. She moaned, her body burning up and her heart pounding so hard and so recklessly in her chest as she started to lose control. It was sweet, sweet torture and she shuddered, a fire scorching through her body from the sensation.

It felt amazing to have his mouth working her to oblivion, sucking and flicking and just barely pressing his tongue inside her. It was one thing to masturbate for herself and make herself come. She knew exactly what she wanted and how to make herself feel the best, but it was a whole other to have someone else pleasure her. She'd never known ecstasy like this could exist in her life.

"F-Fitz!" she cried out in pleasure, her back arching sharply when he dragged his tongue lazily across her and pressed a finger into her folds.

It felt unbelievable, his lips where she ached most, his tongue trailing a wet path around and through her center, his finger pumping slowly, slowly driving her mad as she started to fall apart at the seams. She couldn't get enough.

He flicked her clit with his tongue and then sucked on it, just hard enough that Sophie jolted from the spasms of pleasure that wracked her body. It was overwhelming and Sophie whined and cried out, spreading her legs almost involuntarily to give him more access, her fingers clawing into Fitz's hair, pressure building under her navel, tightening and tightening as Fitz kept up his persistent motions. Her legs quivered violently as she approached her blinding release.

A series of breathless, high pitched whimpers cascaded through her bedroom, ricocheting off the walls that sounded so dirty and wanton that Sophie wondered if those sounds really came from her mouth. She clammed up as she tried to catch her breath, snapping her mouth shut, appalled that she had actually made a noise like that. Fitz chuckled, lifting up his head and watching her with a raised brow.

"Sophie, you're like…  _really_  fucking wet." Fitz started laughing, wiping the wetness from his mouth and the lower part of his face.

Sophie sat up on her elbows, mortified when she felt the uncomfortable dampness surrounding her hips and ass. There was practically a damn lake under her. Her covers were soaked, a darkened puddle underneath her. It was  _horrible_.

"I knew this was a bad idea!" She tried to snap her legs closed, her face burning with a blush, but Fitz stopped her, looking entirely too amused. "Stop laughing!"

"No, don't get embarrassed. It's hot."

"Shut up."

"It's okay, Sophie," he said, though his shoulders were still shaking with his snickers. "I like it."

"It's not funny." Sophie folded her legs up to her chest with a frown, closing them and feeling the urge to punch Fitz in the face. "You know what? We're done with this."

"Aww, don't be like that," he said. "You were enjoying it before."

"Yeah, until you started laughing. We're moving on."

"Fair enough," he said in low tone of voice, crawling over her with a mischievous smile. "If by moving on, you mean I get to live out my fantasies, then I'm all for it."

She tugged him down by his shoulders, meeting his lips in a slow, heated kiss as she wrapped her arms around his back. It was a little odd tasting herself on his lips, not necessarily gross, and there wasn't a flavour per se, but it was strange to think about. He slanted his mouth over hers, slipping his tongue in her mouth and rearranging himself so he was nestled more snuggly between her legs. Fitz made a low, satisfied sound from the back of his throat when Sophie lifted her hips up and pressed herself against his arousal.

She dragged her hands from his back to the front of his jeans, unclasping the button and trying to shove them down from his hips. They got caught somewhere near his knees and Sophie laughed as she struggled the get them off.

"Get on the bottom," Sophie said against his lips. "I can't get your pants off."

Fitz rolled them over so Sophie was on top. He kicked off his pants the rest of the way and Sophie sat back on his throbbing erection. She inhaled slowly, surprised by how rigid and hot it was, straining against his boxers and pressing against her rather fervently, alert and ready as if eagerly seeking out its sanctuary inside her. She gave an experimental roll of her hips and Fitz sucked in a startled breath, his eyes half-lidded in pleasure. She chuckled under her breath, leaning over him and meeting his gaze as he watched her, this indecipherable look in his eyes that set the butterflies in her stomach alight.

"What?" she asked quietly.

"Nothing." He rubbed her thighs slowly. "I just… I have the most beautiful girlfriend in the world."

Sophie felt her face flush, a small smile on his face as he watched her, a warmth in his eyes that made her heart double time in her chest. Even when they were in lower levels, he'd always looked at her like that, and Sophie couldn't lie that it made her feel like she was actually worth something to someone.

"Stop, you sap."

He pulled her down to him and she kissed him again, affectionate and soft as she slowly rolled her hips on him. Fitz inhaled unsteadily, his breath warm and erratic against her lips. Sophie moaned quietly, surrendering herself to the intensity of his arousal pushing between her legs, his hands gently palming her breasts. They kissed each other slowly, thoroughly, hands drifting over each other's naked skin, caressing each other.

And then her imparter suddenly started ringing.

Sophie didn't notice it, lost in the incredible feeling of Fitz's erection repeatedly brushing against her clit, and eventually, the background noise stopped. But when it started ringing once again, Fitz paused, breaking their kiss and staring up at Sophie in slight confusion. It jarred them out of their haze of lust. Sophie chose to ignore it, pressing kisses to his cheek and his jaw and sucking on his neck.

"Sophie. Your Imparter," he said, his voice a little husky.

"Ignore it." Sophie muttered, taking his earlobe in her teeth and tugging gently as she gyrated on his lap.

He groaned, grasping her ass and stopping her hips when her phone continued to ring. "What if it's your mom though?"

"Urgh, fine."

She reached over and snatched her phone up from her nightstand, irritated with whoever had ruined the moment.

"Hello?" she muttered, not altogether pleasantly.

_"Hiya baby girl. Just checking up on ya. Everything going alright?"_

Shit. It  _was_  her mom.

Fitz took advantage of her current distracted state to take control, pinching her nipples between his fingers. Sophie nearly moaned, giving him a look to cut it out. He responded by licking her neck, nipping the skin with his teeth just hard enough to leave a mark. Sophie tried to sit up quickly to get away from him, but he wrapped his arms around her, holding her firmly in place.

_"Sophie? You there?"_

"Yeah, everything is fine," Sophie said, trying to hold back her breathless sighs when Fitz sucked on her neck. "…I'm trying to work on a project."

Sophie folded her lips in, keeping her mouth shut and trying to keep her surprised squeal at bay when Fitz suddenly flipped them over, his fingers wedging into her side, clearly threatening to tickle her. His devious shit-eating grin told her all she needed to know. She mouthed at him to stop, squirming under him, and trying to get out of his grasp though it was no use.

_"Okay. Have you figured out what you're going to eat for dinner? I left some money in the jar, so feel free to order takeout if you and Fitz are hungry."_

Sophie froze, stiffening and suddenly anxious. He must have heard his name through the call because he stopped, lifting his head and staring up at her in surprise.

"Uh… yeah." Sophie nervously tucked some loose hair behind her ear. "Wait, how did you know Fitz was over?"

She swore, if her mom left some hidden cameras in her room or was standing somewhere watching them right now, Sophie would die of embarrasment.

_"You said you were working on a project. The only one I can remember you had was with Fitz, right? For Telepathy?"_

"R-right. Yeah. Yeah, he's here. We're working on the project."

Fitz rose a brow, giving her an incredulous look for her clearly suspicious rambling. She ignored him, chewing on her lower lip. She was nervous, and it threw off her chill. She had thought for a moment that he mother knew what they were up to.

_"Okay, don't forget to get something to eat."_

"Okay, Mom."

_"I'll see you when I get back home, baby girl. Be safe."_

Sophie's eyes widened, her heart nearly stopping in her chest. "Wait what? Why would you say be safe?"

 _"…Because you need to make sure you remember to lock up when it gets late,"_  Edaline responded slowly.  _"I always tell you that. Sophie, are you okay?"_

"I'm fine. Sorry. I was just distracted. It's okay. See you later."

She hung up the call quickly, exhaling slowly and hoping that through all of her floundering, her mother hadn't somehow put two and two together and understood exactly what kind of things were transpiring in her bedroom as of that moment. Her mother was pretty damn perceptive when she wanted to be. She probably knew what they were up to; it was fairly obvious what two people in a relationship would do when granted privacy.

"Is everything okay?" Fitz asked, drawing her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah. Just uh… Let's just continue. Or go for it. Or whatever. I'm ready. You brought condoms?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

Their eyes met, and they both swallowed hard as they stared at each other, understanding that this was it. The moment that they finally went to the next level. Fitz was gazing down at her like she was his whole world, and Sophie's heart skipped a beat in her chest.

"What's up? You're looking at me like  _that_  again."

"Like what? Like I love you?" Fitz murmured. "Like I'm so madly, deeply in love with you that the world stops spinning on its axis every time I see your smile?"

She could feel her face warm in embarrassment. "Don't be cheesy."

He grinned. "Like the very sight of your face makes me want to move mountains for you?"

She laughed, pushing against his shoulders. "Stop, you corndog."

"I love you, Sophie," Fitz said seriously, tenderly stroking her cheek.

Her pulse was racing unbelievably fast as she gazed up at him. It took them forever and a day to get to this point, but they were finally there. A couple with no boundaries, ready to take the next step of their relationship.

"I love you too, Fitz."

He leaned down over the edge of the bed, rummaging around in his school bag for the condoms. Sophie let out the long breath she'd been holding, staring up at her ceiling and trying to quell her slight shaking.

It was going to happen. And Sophie started to grow really scared. There were so many ways this could end badly. What if they both hated it? What if sex changed things for the worst, and they wouldn't be able to talk anymore or spend time together? What if they got awkward, and it broke their relationship?

They really were going fast. Almost  _too_  fast, and her apprehensions grew. She knew this moment had been coming, but now that it was here, Sophie didn't know how she felt about it. It wasn't like she was having second thoughts exactly, but she definitely didn't feel altogether ready anymore. She was starting to realize that there would be some pretty severe emotional repercussions from having sex with Fitz. This would undoubtedly change things between them and all of a sudden, Sophie knew if they did this, she'd be dropping all her walls for him for good.

That meant nothing to protect her heart.

A sudden fear gripped her chest.

"…Fitz, wait—"

"Shit," he suddenly said, straightening up and running his hand through his hair. "I can't find the condoms."

Sophie rose up on her elbows with a frown. "What do you mean?"

"I think I left them on my bed."

"Really?" she drawled.

Only he would be dorky enough to leave his condoms lying around and forget to bring them.

"Sorry. I was rushing to get here on time, and I was kind of wigging out. I must have forgotten to put them in my bag."

She wanted to be frustrated, she honestly did, but Sophie couldn't lie, she was feeling relief above all. She'd been hesitating and with this new development, it nailed the hammer in the coffin for her that she didn't want this to happen that night.

"I promise I'll make it up to you," Fitz said apologetically.

"You're such a dork."

"Well, do you have any condoms?"

"I mean, maybe my parents might have some, but I wouldn't even know where to check. Plus anything having to do with my mom and whatever drawers she keeps unmentionables in or anything having to do with sex? I don't think about."

Fitz sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed, slouching, his arms resting on his knees. Sophie sat up completely, feeling a bit awkward as she scratched at her arm. Their evening had become a total bust.

"So what do we do?" he asked.

She shrugged, staring at the stain on her comforter. "I don't know."

He glanced at her over his shoulder. "I could go buy some from the convenience store really quickly."

"Honestly, I'm not really in the mood anymore."

"You're not in the mood." Fitz said dryly, raising a brow.

"Yeah. Your dorkiness fucked that up."

He stared at her for a few seconds, his eyes slightly narrowed as if he didn't quite believe her. "What do you want to do then?"

Sophie pulled her underwear from the ground and tugged it on before grabbing her shirt and putting it back on as well. She crawled over to Lucas and cuddled up next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I don't know. Let's just order out. Or can we cuddle or something? I just…" Sophie grimaced slightly. "I don't want to have sex anymore."

"Okay… What happened?" He wrapped his arm around her waist. "You were pretty enthusiastic about it earlier. Was it something I did?"

"You didn't do anything." Sophie sighed. "I got scared. I thought I was ready, but I'm just not, Fitz. Sex is a pretty big deal. And I don't know if I'm ready to really open that door all the way. I love you, don't get me wrong—"

"But you're not ready to break down all your walls, yet." He grinned playfully. "Pun intended."

Sophie rolled her eyes, but snorted. "Yeah. That. It's a really big step, and I don't want us to jump into it unless we know for sure this is what we want."

Until she knew fully and 100% that they were sticking this relationship out. Because Sophie knew she would get even more attached to Fitz than she already was, and if he ended up leaving after this, it would mess her up pretty badly. She knew Fitz would never hurt her, but they'd had so many troubles just to end up in a relationship through the years. She didn't really know what to expect.

"Yeah, I kind of know what you mean," Fitz said, staring at one of the paintings on her wall. It was the one of all of them standing over Havenfield's cliffs, Calla's tree in the background. That seemed like so long ago... "It's like a no turning back thing. And I think you need time to think about whether you really want to go to the no turning back point with me."

"That isn't to say I don't love you though," she added quickly.

"I never doubted that you do. It's okay to have reservations." Fitz rubbed Sophie's side, kissing her head softly. "You've got trust issues and you need to know that what you're walking into isn't something that will ruin you. You need time to think, and I understand that."

Sophie sighed in relief and relaxed against his side. She was so lucky that she had an understanding boyfriend who actually cared about her comfort and well-being. She loved him so much.

"This won't make things weird between us, right?"

"Well… considering the fact that you've given me near blue balls for the second time in a row and left me to take care of it myself?" He nudged her playfully, a teasing smirk on his lips. "It probably will."

"You're so annoying." Sophie rolled her eyes, though his stupid joke had managed to make her smile. "Go take care of your problem."

He did look uncomfortable, and his erection was probably chafing really badly against his boxers. She knew how bad it was to not reach completion. Fitz stood up with a grunt, his motions a bit stiff as he stretched out the kinks in his limbs. Then he turned around, lifting up her chin gently and kissing her softly.

"You're okay, right?" he asked, his sea-foam gaze concerned as he brushed his thumb across her cheek.

Sophie nodded sincerely, honestly feeling like she was okay. Her talk with Fitz had actually helped quell most of her nerves, and thanks to him being so understanding, she didn't feel so embarrassed about it anymore.

"Good."

Fitz grabbed his shirt from the ground and walked slowly out of her room, making his way to the bathroom down the hallway. Once he'd left, Sophie sighed, stepping off her bed to grab a pair of shorts and tug them on.

She'd thought she was ready, but maybe she hadn't thought about it as long as she should have because the more she thought about it now, the more reservations she had. This  _was_  a huge step and maybe she wasn't quite in the right mindset yet. And she knew if she wasn't in the right mindset, it wouldn't feel right. And the last thing she wanted was for them to have sex only for it to ruin their relationship.

They had literally just cleared up everything that afternoon at school. She'd thought at length about the physical aspect of sex and had made herself ready for that side of it, but she hadn't had a chance to really assess the emotional side and what it would mean for her and Fitz.

She had quite a few things to think about. But as soon as she worked out her concerns, she would definitely be ready for it.

Maybe she'd give it a day or two.


End file.
